Volunteer and Intern in Medicine in Latin America

Medical internships in Latin America are filled with wonderful opportunities for volunteers interested in a future in medicine to get valuable hands-on experience. Medicine is an interesting and innovative field that is overflowing with new discovers and techniques for volunteers and interns to experience.Medical volunteers who participate in internships in Latin America can work in hospitals or clinics, where the work is generally both interesting and varied.

There is a wide assortment of departments within each hospital or clinic that medical interns or volunteers have the opportunity to explore. Whether you are interested in Nursing or Occupational Therapy, there is a chance for you to discover the fascinating world of medicine in Latin America.

"We saw many different cases observing with the doctors and experienced Bolivian health care first hand. Many of the patients were young children with stomach problems, cold, or cough which doctors would check out quickly and then sometimes let us check out the children lungs or throat. Several patients were pregnant women coming for prenatal checkups. We were able to feel their bellies for the baby and help determine its location and size. We even got to help perform pap smears and insert IUDs on some women. The experience helped us see doctor-patient interactions under conditions with limited health care tools and allowed us to work closely with patients in a way we would not be able to in the US."William Richter – Medicine and Healthcare, Medicine in Bolivia

Medical Internship in Latin America

Medical internships in Latin America are usually packed with opportunities for volunteers interested in medicine to obtain real-life experience in a hospital or clinic. While medical interns are volunteering in Latin America, they will have the chance to possibly observe or take part in surgeries and have daily interaction with patients.

There are generally no prior experience needed to volunteer on a medical internship in Latin America. Medical interns and volunteers can be high school students who are interested in medicine or want to become doctors, undergraduate college students on the pre-med track, medical school students, students taking a glide year or doctors.

"In our free time we enjoyed talking with our wonderful host parents and traveling around Argentina with the other volunteers, who had also become like family. We also got to know our supervising doctor very well, and we went with him on many trips filled with unforgettable conversations about everything from Che Guevara to his passionate opinions on social issues. Argentina was a beautiful country to explore, and the people were especially caring and welcoming. Despite the language barrier and being on the other side of the world, I always felt like I was at home."Ying Liu – Medicine and Healthcare, Medicine in Argentina

High School and College Interns in Medicine in Latin America

Pre-med students, high school students, medical school students, glide year students, and licensed doctors are all welcomed to participate in our medical internships in Latin America. There are usually no education or academic requirements that volunteers need to meet in order to be considered for a medical internship in Latin America. All that is required is a good work ethic and a positive attitude. Since there are so many departments that medical interns can investigate in a hospital or clinic, they can typically get real-life experience in whatever medical subject interests them or that they find challenging.

"I worked in the Hospitalito, one of the hospitals in Zapopan. I had never done anything with medicine, but I learned so much. Once again, it was amazing how well I could fit in. With a lab coat and all white clothes, I could blend into the group of medical students at my hospital without a problem. These students were amazing people, accepting me into their rounds and classes, even after they figured out I had no idea what I was doing. They showed me how to fill out charts, explained what the blood tests meant, and answered any questions fired at me by other doctors that didn’t understand what I was doing there. I was even able to give a little back to them by explaining articles in English that they had to read for their classes. It was a great experience for me at my hospital, even when I was teased for not knowing how to spell in Spanish."Erica Munoz Fitch – Medicine and Healthcare, Medicine in Mexico